Banner expands labor/delivery department in FoCo

FORT COLLINS — Banner Fort Collins Medical Center has expanded its delivery department with a fifth labor and delivery room, and has added two care providers to meet growing demand for birthing services.

Completed in October, the labor and delivery room includes a pain-relieving tub for patients requesting natural deliveries.

The tub, also called warm water immersion hydrotherapy, provides comfort, support and relaxation for women undergoing natural labor.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Commercial Solar is a big investment, but not an overwhelming one

Solar offers a significant economic benefit for commercial property owners while also positively impacting the environment and offering a path to compliance for new municipal requirements like Energize Denver. A local, experienced solar installer will help you navigate the complexities of commercial solar to achieve financial success for your project.

The room acts as an all-in-one labor, delivery and postpartum suite, meaning the patient and baby won’t have to leave the room for care. The room has a bed, medical equipment, fridge, delivery cart, warmer and the Novii wireless monitoring system, which is a small, beltless and cordless fetal monitor. Novii also monitors the maternal heart rate, uterine activity and maternal movement in real-time.

“We strive to provide the birth experience that the patient desires, while ensuring that the mother and baby are safe,” said Michelle Shaffer, a registered nurse and senior manager of Women and Infant Services at Banner Fort Collins Medical Center.

The department also hired Saskia Thompson, doctor of osteopathic medicine, and Corrie Wilder, a certified nurse midwife.

Since Banner Fort Collins Medical Center’s inception in April 2015, more than 650 babies have been delivered there, with 340 so far this year.

[advert]

“We are a small team, so expanding our department just makes sense,” Shaffer said. “Our midwives alone are delivering between 20 and 25 babies a month with many women choosing to forego epidurals and have natural births.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated Dec. 13, 2017, to correct Saskia Thompson’s title.